Record Attendance and Ups and Downs

30th October 2012
Arsenal were 4-0 down after just 37 minutes of a Capital One (League Cup) tie at Reading but the Arsenal fans weren't despondent and sang 'We're going to win 5-4'. But they were wrong - Arsenal won 7-5.

30th October 1954
A player who perhaps shouldn't have got away with the statement... 'I'm off to the match this afternoon, darling' was Southport's Billy Holmes!! BELOW......Billy has the rare distinction of being one of two men to score a Football League hat-trick on the day they got married. Married in the morning of Saturday 30th October 1954, the afternoon saw him playing for Southport against Carlisle United in a Division 3 North fixture - and he scored a hat-trick in Southport's 4-1 victory. Quite a day for Billy, then!!

Bill Poyntz of Leeds United scored a hat trick and got married on the morning of the same day. Date: February 20, 1922. The Match: Later that day, he scored a hat trick at Elland Road in a 3–0 Second Division victory against Leicester City and might have scored even later in the day!! 

AND on October 30th 1937, 68,029 fans turned up for the Second Division match between Aston Villa and Coventry City. (see below) Why so many? Well Aston Villa went on to win the Division .....the Sky Blues just missed out of promotion, managing only fourth place! So there was quite a lot in stake, although some distance from the final placing in the Division!

DIVISION 2  1937/38
							P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
	Leading League goalscorer: George Henson  (Bradford PA)  27  goals The highest ever Division 2 attendance was recorded on Saturday 30th October 1937 when 68,029 were at Villa Park to see Aston Villa draw 1-1 with Coventry City. Despite finishing 12th in Division 2 with 'only' 89 League goals to their name Luton Town finished the 1937/38 season as top goalscorers in the whole of the Football League. Check out their GOALS AGAINST!!			1		Aston Villa	42	25	7	10	73	35	57		Promoted
				2		Manchester United	42	22	9	11	82	50	53
				3		Sheffield United	42	22	9	11	73	56	53
				4		Coventry City	42	20	12	10	66	45	52
				5		Tottenham Hotspur	42	19	6	17	76	54	44
				6		Burnley	42	17	10	15	54	54	44
				7		Bradford (Park Avenue)	42	17	9	16	69	56	43
				8		Fulham	42	16	11	15	61	57	43
				9		West Ham United	42	14	14	14	53	52	42
				10		Bury	42	18	5	19	63	60	41
				11		Chesterfield	42	16	9	17	63	63	41
				12		Luton Town	42	15	10	17	89	86	40
				13		Plymouth Argyle	42	14	12	16	57	65	40
				14		Norwich City	42	14	11	17	56	75	39
				15		Southampton	42	15	9	18	55	77	39
				16		Blackburn Rovers	42	14	10	18	71	80	38
				17		Sheffield Wednesday	42	14	10	18	49	56	38
				18		Swansea Town	42	13	12	17	45	73	38
				19		Newcastle United	42	14	8	20	51	58	36
				20		Nottingham Forest	42	14	8	20	47	60	36
				21		Barnsley	42	11	14	17	50	64	36		Relegated
				22		Stockport County	42	11	9	22	43	70	31

CHEER UP ADRIAN (It's not that important) and SIR ALEX (It's 1,000!)

On this day (October 29th) in 2004, Adrian Mutu (below) was given a punishment that you would not "sniff" at. He was sacked by Chelsea after testing positive for cocaine. Chelsea FC ditched their £15.8m, Romanian striker, who claimed that he had used the drug in order to improve his "sex" life. There were claims that he had lived up to every Transylvanian stereotype by sucking on the blood of his WAG!!

I am writing this as news of the Russell Brand taking "the stand".  I leave that up to you to pursue. 

On a lighter note, at Old Trafford, a year later, as Fergie's "LADS" became the first club to score 1,000 goals since the start of the Premier League in 1992. You would have done well to raise a smile on Sir Alex's face though, as Christiano Ronaldo's injury time goal proved to be the only consolation as opponents Middlesbrough cruised to a 4-1 win.

Score	4-1 to Middlesbrough
Referee	Alan Wiley
Competition	Premier League
Venue	Riverside Stadium
Attendance	30,579

MAX HAS MAXED (OUT)

Presently listening on the Radio, to some issues about the Arsenal youth, Max Dowman, being punished sent off during the Carabao Cup match last night (Oct 27th) between, his club, Arsenal and hosting, Fleetwood Town. The dismissal sparked considerable debate prompting The Gunners to lodge an official appeal with the Football Association The 16th year old midfielder was sent off with. a straight RED in the 85th minute after reacting poorly to a heavy challenge by Fleetwood's Harrison Neal. Although Dowman did not fully kick out, his foot did make contact with Fleetwood's, Neal. Dowman received the first red card of his senior career, following a brawl with Harrison Neal, in the 85th minute.

The match finished 1-1 before League Two Fleetwood beat the Premier League Champions, 5-3 on penalties 5-3. 5,002 watched this game. Fleetwood goalkeeper, Jay Lynch saved Bruno Guimaraes, penalty, The Gunners fourth.

This was Dowman's second red card this month, having been red carded while representing England in an Under 19s international!! Nice one sunshine!! COMPETITIVE??

An attacking midfielder or a winger for Premier League club Arsenal, Dowman was born in Chelmsford and began his youth career at local club Billericay Town, before a move to Arsenal's Academy at the age of five. WHAT NEXT??

ARSENAL AWAY AT HIGHBURY!! (Apologies for "cross overs!")

Fleetwood Town 

v   Arsenal   at Highbury Stadium

English League Cup Tie tonight 8pm...YES Arsenal play away! Do you know where Fleetwood is? Worth researching its history!

Form guide All competitions most recent

Skip back to season so far

Fleetwood Town

Arsenal

L

Fleetwood Town lose

v Exeter City

2

1

League Two

W

Arsenal won

v Everton

2

0

Premier League

L

Fleetwood Town lose

v Cheltenham Town

4

2

League Two

D

Arsenal draw

v Bayern Munich

2

2

UEFA Champions League

W

Fleetwood Town won

v Rotherham United

2

0

League Two

W

Arsenal won

v Nottingham Forest

0

1

Premier League

D

Fleetwood Town draw

v Walsall

1

1

League Two

W

Arsenal won

v Lille

3

0

UEFA Champions League

W

Fleetwood Town won

v Barnsley

4

1

EFL Trophy

Fleetwood Town Nicknames	The Fishermen The Cods
Short name	The Town
Founded	1908 (118 years ago) called Fleetwood 1928 (98 years ago) (as Fleetwood Windsor Villa, later just Fleetwood) 1977 (49 years ago) (second reformation as Fleetwood Town) 1997 (29 years ago) (third reformation Fleetwood Wanderers)
Ground	Highbury Stadium!!!
Capacity	5,327 (2,672 seated)

W

Arsenal won

v Leeds United

2

1

Premier League

Fleetwood Chairman	Jamie Pilley
Head coach	Matt Lawlor
League	EFL League Two
2025–26	EFL League Two,    15th of 24